Finally got to see this classic at the Smith's Center. I've seen the references over the years and heard the music countless times. It's interesting to me how the main title song is so different from the rest of the music, for the most part where it mostly is very operatic and feels classical but the main theme is this 80's synth pop anthem. It almost takes me out of the vibe of the musical but nonetheless is a classic but that makes sense since its main riff is nearly identical to the classic bridge in the Pink Floyd song Echoes. But in spite of that I did have a difficult time understanding the lyrics in the operatic pieces but I was able to follow the story with context clues and the description given in the program.
In seeing the show I feel my favorite song was "All I Ask of You." I also like the aspect of the chandelier in the show but learned later how much better it was used in the original performances in England with it swinging when it drops at the end of the first act. Another thing I really liked was with the staging and how it was used for the magic illusions performed by the Phantom. We talked about watching a pro shot or just the movie for this but I'm so glad we got to see it performed live as I feel that made these moments even cooler to see rather than see it on TV since editing can't be used to enhance the trick. Overall, I recommend this to musical fans, which I'm sure I don't need to.